Technology is Your Teacher
Technological Empowerment
The presence of the internet as a communication medium has a considerable impact on our lives. The Internet has created a kind of bond that makes us become closer to friends, relatives, or colleagues who are far away. Coupled with the state of the world that is being hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced all of us to move and evolve with technology ranging from work, teaching and learning programs to everyday communication. The increasing use of technology is certainly there are advantages and disadvantages that are felt. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of communicating online.
Advantages of Online Communication :
1. More Quickly
Through online communication can cut time and faster to exchange information. In addition, it can be faster and more efficient to contact business partners or relatives. It can communicate with anyone around the world via email and text messages instantly. The Internet has also provided face-to-face communication such as Skype, social media, video conferencing, and many other ways that online communication technologies offer today.
2. Creating a Job Field
Technology also creates new jobs for some fields such as systems analyst, computer programmer, web designer, hardware and software developer, etc, and many other new opportunities created by information communication technology (ICT). Information communication technology (ICT) also makes it easier for businesses to be automated so customers can call 24/7. That is, the company can be opened anywhere, anytime, allowing clients to make purchases from different countries. This makes business easier and more convenient.
3. Improvement of Education Sector
The Internet has created various computer programs for use with different generations in different parts of the world. Important information such as health, business, and environmental facts are easily available and accessible to anyone with an internet network.
Weakness of Online Communication :
1. Loss of Privasy or Personal Data
Although the internet has made communication easier, faster and more convenient, privacy concerns have arisen. From email hacking to phone signal interception, more and more people are now having problems with their personal information. Because the use of social media or using technology-based applications must enter personal data that will certainly be read and stored by their systems. No wonder there are many criminal cases such as fraud. Regarding this, we should be wiser to use and provide our personal data.
2. Decreased Cultural Consciousness
Although the internet has made the universe a global village, some cultures have consumed other cultures. But excessive internet access can make the younger generation do not know their native culture and adopt the culture from the outside. This can greatly affect the way they dress, act, and behave. So even though we have to adapt and move with technology, there are things that must be considered so that technology does not erode the good culture around us.
Carrying out online communication is not at the right place and time, can ignore or delay other things, even endanger others and yourself. Therefore, pay attention to the place and time when we communicate online.
Being a successful entrepreneur must have an unusual mindset. As in seeing a weakness. Who would have thought a deficiency can actually be transformed into an opportunity. For example an unfortunate situation like a pandemic holds business opportunities for creative and innovative entrepreneurs to meet the needs of the market.
As stated by Ahmad Syukron, S.E. or familiarly called Roni in a webinar titled Entrepreneurship in Pandemic Time held in UII recently.
“This condition we have to go through, not even become an obstacle, because we also cannot continue to blame the pandemic. We need to rise up to restore the economy. Find opportunities and innovate. Currently more students are only able to see the shortcomings they have, but forget that they also have powers that they have not yet dug”, he said, reveal the man who has long been in the field of screen printing and convection.
Founders of brands Mulkatra and Atelier said there are three things that entrepreneurs need to have, namely critical thinking, creative thinking, and curiosity. “Critical thinking and creative thinking need to be honed in this day and age. In an age of technology, where all things can be done by robots but not with these two things. In addition, we also need to have a high curiosity (curiosity). This is necessary so that we can develop the business we have”, added the UII alumni.
He also always instills motto “make uncomfortable yourself”. The goal is nothing but to form a survival mindset. In line with the motto, he even willingly sleep on a carpet rather than a soft mattress so as not to be too comfortable to spend time to relax.
Similarly, the next speaker, Dr. Gamal Albinsaid, M. Biomed also insists on immediately rising from the fall of the pandemic. “Pandemi brings two major changes: increased involvement of digital technology in the lives and psychological changes of consumers. Many digital businesses are growing rapidly in pandemic times. We should have seen this as an opportunity.” added the CEO of Indonesia Medika Sociopreneur.
Gamal Albinsaid also shared three tips to respond to a pandemic for a business. “First solving the now, growing existing businesses, maximizing profits, and responding to the immediate challenges we face. Second, exploring the next, responding to medium-term challenges and opportunities, largely from breakthroughs in your sector. Third, imaging the beyond, responding to the long-term transformations, opportunities and challenges of the global, cross-sector” megatrend.
On the other hand, he emphasized that being an entrepreneur is not an easy thing because it requires a mental readiness. An entrepreneur must be prepared to lose pleasure in the present to gain pleasure in the future.
“At least there are some things you must maintain if you decide to entrepreneurship, among others, leaving a fixed salary, sacrificing personal savings, facing losses, facing the wrong business analysis, and losing a team. Many people set up a business but fail because they create something that is not really needed by many consumers. For that we need a name that thinks creatively and innovatively in entrepreneurship”, he concluded.
